Credit: Devin Dwyer/ ABC News

Spring is slow to come, but first lady Michelle Obama got a jump on the season - planting fruits and vegetables alongside local elementary school students in the White House Kitchen Garden this afternoon.

This year, it will be a pollinating garden, adding a flower section designed to attract bees and butterflies.

"Make sure all of them get a little water," the first lady said while kneeling alongside two students from several D.C. elementary schools.

The White House Kitchen garden, now in its sixth year, was the seed of what ultimately grew to be Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" campaign. This year, Obama was joined by the founders of FoodCorps and six of its members, each of whom have dedicated a year to ensuring children grow up in healthier food environments.

The students planted a variety of fruits and vegetables, including collard greens, rhubarb, onions, strawberries, raspberries, and a new addition, a paw paw tree.

Obama worked alongside the students, helping them lift a watering can when its weight grew too heavy and planting some of the larger flowers.

"Guys, this is awesome," she told them. "Look at all the work you did. You know how long this would have taken me if I did it by myself?"

Before leaving, the first lady said she was looking forward to seeing the students again at harvest time - "when we pick it up, take it out and we eat it."